


Thawing Levi Ackerman's Heart

by Lady_Risa_Targaryean_Stark (Serendipityruki17)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Inappropriate Humor, Romance, Sexual Tension, levihan - Freeform, lots of teasing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-08-02 20:04:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16311815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serendipityruki17/pseuds/Lady_Risa_Targaryean_Stark
Summary: Modern AU- With the Holidays just around the corner, Hange is determined to make the best of it. When she comes across her co-worker, who apparently is going to be spending the holidays alone, she is dead set on making this Christmas the best yet, and finally win the heart of a man she's falling for.("It's impossible to hate Christmas!" She protests, leaning forward onto the table, her hands at either side of her as she slams her hands on the table. "There's Christmas lights, trees, snow, hot chocolate- food so much food-presents, New Years preparations- !" She excitedly numbered with her hands."Tsk," Levi made a disgusted face back at her, crossing his arms. "You sound like a four year old.")





	1. Lonely For the Holidays

**Author's Note:**

> I KNOW-KNOW! Whoa! We're still in in October! Halloween hasn't even passed and you're already jumping to Christmas! What? – Trust me, the reason I'm working on this Christmas fic now is because I know myself well enough to know that by the time I finish updating this it will already be Christmas time haha if not later heh. So I thought I'll work on it a bit early so that this fic could be completed by the Holidays, hence fitting perfectly with the finale. It's going to be mostly Levihan centered but I might add some other couple minorly in the background.  
> (For those following my other Levihan stories! They're not forgotten! I will continue them soon! I'm just excited to start this one! Forgive me! I promise to update soon )

"Pickle Juice-Damn it," Hange curses when the hot beverage spilled all over her shirt, soaking right through her yellow-forgotten-to-iron shirt instantly. "AAAH! it's Hot! It's SO HOOT!" She yells out, forgetting that there was currently an important meeting on the other room.

She didn't care, her chest was fucking burning!

Without a care she unbuttons her shirt as fast as her lengthy fingers would allow, she needed to remove the soaking drench shirt away from her skin before she got some serious burns.

"Hange? Are you okay?"

Freezing in place, Hange made a quick turn away from the door of the room, and towards the wall of the breakroom. She did her best to hide her present situation. "Ah! Who me?! Yeah! I'm fine!" She says once again loudly, naturally laughing it off nervously, still facing the wall opposite to the door, hiding the other burning of her face not done by the coffee. "I spilled coffee on myself, it's nothing Erwin."

She hears a distinctive scoff shortly after, and she can't help turning her head slightly back to catch both Erwin and Levi standing at the doorway, looking back at her. Her eyes automatically lock on Levi, as she sheepishly smiles at him.

Levi just rolls his eyes at her, before walking forward. "I"ll help her, you go back to the meeting," Levi murmurs to Erwin as he heads to the supply closet, most likely in search for a mop, or a bucket, in which without a doubt Hange was sure he would bury Hange's cremated body after he's done cleaning her mess, and promptly kills her for making such a mess in the first place, when there was such an important meeting taking place.

Erwin nods slowly. "I"ll brief you both on what you missed after the meeting." With a gentle smile at Hange, Erwin closes the door to the breakroom and retrieves back into the adjacent room.

"God, I'm such an idiot sometimes," Hange blurts almost instantly once she hears the door shut to the next room, turning back to the wall to slam her head into.

"That's long been established, Four-eyes," Levi comments, dryly.

She makes a face, turning her head around to glare at her short co-worker.

"Oi, are you just going to just stand there facing the wall, this is _your mess_."

She frowns, facing forward to slowly button her shirt up again. The shirt was still drench, but the temperature was now tolerable enough that it wasn't burning her skin, although she was sure that she suffered from some burns.

Just her luck.

"Why were you so late anyway?" Levi asks her a moment later, curiosity just barely hinted in his tone.

Hange finally turns fully around, almost instantly Levi raises an eyebrow at her.

"Late work at the lab yesterday, I don't think I slept at all," She explains leaning down to retrieve the empty cup of coffee, not paying particular attention to why Levi had stopped mopping for a moment to stare at her. "I went home for like an hour, but I couldn't fall asleep you know? I kept thinking about my lab work. Before I know it it's time for work, but I felt like a train ran over me-so tired! I needed caffeine!" She rambled on, still half delirious over her lack of sleep. But that was only part of it.

If she was being honest, the lack of sleep wasn't the reason she was particularly stress today. It was because of the phone call she received from her mother earlier.

_She had been slowly drifting off to sleep as she read the statistics of her experimental results in her computer when her phone rang. The caller ID woke her up instantly, as it flashed to her mother's phone number._

" _Mm-Hello?" She answers yawning and rubbing her eyes._

" _Ah Hange Dear!...-"_

" _Hello mom," She stifle another yawn as she continued to record the results to her experiments, inputting the software graph points. Her mother's voice carried on, Hange only half paying attention. Resorting to automatically responding to yeah, okay, yes, that's great mom answers out of habit._

" _We're so sorry, hon. We won't be able to make it this time, we're truly tried- "_

" _It's fine," Hange automatically replied, frowning at a statistical strange curve in her results._

" _Besides I'm sure you'll have other plans during the holidays, maybe spending some time with the boyfriend."_

" _Yes of course I have plans with my boy….-friend," wait- what? She tries to recall the conversation earlier quickly, realizing she made a serious mistake._

" _Wait- you're not coming for Christmas?" Hange spluttered right at the same time her mother said. -_

" _Hange, you have a boyfriend!"_

_Well that backfired, she gurgled in her spot, facepalming. Boyfriend?! Did she just say she had one? Her? Whose last boyfriend was when she was still a teen in early high school! Ugh. Her mother was never going to drop this now, even if she corrected her mistake._

" _Hange! Why haven't you told me?! For how long? What's his name?-"_

" _Uhmmm, listen that's not important mom- What do you mean you're not coming for Christmas at all? It's been…years." 7 to be exact since she last saw her parents._

" _We're sorry sweetie, our tickets to Paris are non-refundable. Maybe next year."_

_The disappointment tasted bitter in her mouth as she sighs. How many times had she heard that same promise over the years, only to never come true. Why did she expect this year to be different? Guess this year her 'extravagant Christmas' was postpone for another year._

_Her parents had always been neglectful of her. Doll- like parents, providing everything necessary to live, but never actually being there for her. It's one of the reasons she sought comfort in the world outside, in books of knowledge, and discovery_ \- _she needed something to focus on that didn't give the empty feeling of having no one even when surrounded by everyone_.

_Still Hange tried to seek some form of comfort in her parents. During the Holidays she wanted more than anything to spend it with someone close. But apparently that wasn't going to happen this year either, and it hurt. Of course it did. Her unexpected call with her mother is what made her lose track of the time, as before she knows it, it's way pass the time to head for work._

"Hey, Shitty-Glasses."

Blinking back into focus, she realized she had been spacing out when Levi pulled slightly at her ponytail.

"If you're not going to clean this shit up, go home-you stink of coffee."

Pushing aside her sadness over her parents not being around for Christmas, she grabs a wet cloth and starts wiping the table. "I'm cleaning! I'm cleaning." But not even two wipes later Levi was already grabbing her hand stopping her. "You're doing it wrong."

She opens her mouth to argue how anyone can wipe tables wrong, when Levi interrupts her.

"I'll do it. Go home and change, you're already late anyways doesn't matter now." He mutters, his steel like eyes now moving to her in a challenge.

"But-"

"Your shirt's see through."

_Whaa-!_ Staring down onto her chest she realizes he was absolutely right. He could see absolutely everything, including the pattern of her red and white polka dotted bra. For the second time that morning Hange let out a string of curses disrupting the meeting next door once again, which she had to fervently apologize once again for, as she hurriedly ran to retrieve a lab coat from her office.

* * *

***

37 …

37 days until Christmas.

She skimmed through the calendar counting, frowning. 37 days to figure out what's she's going to do this year for Christmas. As long as she doesn't spend it alone, she'll be fine. Last year she spent it with Nanaba and Mike. The year priors with her very close friend Moblit. But Moblit had a job offer in Toronto and won't be back until January. Pulling out her phone, she texted Nanaba.

_Nana-banana, any plans for XMAS?-_

A moment later a reply came through.

**Spending it at Mike's family inn! Remember I told you last month! We're having a baking fundraiser event.**

The fundraiser event! Of course! A loud sigh escapes her, as another part of her deflates. Nanaba and Mike are out then.

* * *

***

As Erwin recaps the importance of the meeting earlier, explaining the new rules and expectations, Hange looks throughout the others in the room, wondering if they all had plans already. Thanksgiving was just next week, and as soon as Thanksgiving came Christmas would be knocking at their door before they know it.

Hange was determined to not spend it home alone-anything but that. She will find someone to spend the holidays with.

Hmm… Rico? No Rico always volunteers in cleaning the parks during the holiday vacations. Nifa was sweet, but Hange was at least 3 years older than the girl, and she wasn't quite sure if Nifa would be so accepting to a Christmas spent with her so soon to a girl she just met. Petra? Nope, she mentioned only a day before how she was spending it with her father, as she was going to break the news to her father that she getting married to Oluo.

She could ask Erwin. Her boss and close long-term friend as well, or she could ask…- her eyes landed straight to the man sitting with his arms cross in front of him, looking half asleep with his steel eyes focus strictly downcast to the table, yet Hange could tell he was cryptically alert to everything around him.

Levi Ackerman.

Her eyes widen. No way! She thought to herself. Levi? She's only known him for a few months. Having only started working in conjunction with his company because of her research grant. They didn't even start on the right terms either- she recalls how much they clashed on their first encounters, something about how she's absolutely and completely opposite to him in every hell way, and yet the tiny grumpy man still drew her into him. Call her crazy, but something about him, made her feel unexplainably better, even if it was through a course of strange insults to one another. She somehow understood his peculiar sense of humor and found it hilariously unique.

Her memories cause a small snicker to escape her. The focus of the person of her thoughts eyes suddenly dart up towards her, his thin lips tilting in a thin frown as he stares back at her as if he's trying to decide what's possibly going through her head.

Instead of shying away by looking away, Hange meets his stare with her own in a challenge, prompting him to just go ahead an ask her.

"Is something wrong Hange?" Erwin is the one that disrupts the stare down.

"Nope, Erwin, I just thought of something," She smiles in return, as she tilts her glasses up, with a calculating glint in her eyes.

Erwin hesitates, frowning in slight concern, looking between her and Levi for a second too long. Then returning to discussing the inventory analysis.

Sure, she hasn't known Levi for very long, but who else was really left to ask. Maybe asking him she can get to know him better, which she was dying for- because despite not knowing him for long, if she's being honest with herself, she's been secretly crushing on her shorter co-worker for weeks now.

* * *

***

She clocks out long before he does, but she waits outside the doors for that certain person to come out.

She's decided, that she's going to give it a shot, and ask him. Today.

"Um, Hange do you need a ride? Why are you waiting out here?" Petra approaches from her car.

"Ah no Petra I'm fine I'm just waiting for Levi," She explains smiling brightly right as Levi comes out the glass doors with Erwin behind him, clearly having heard her.

"Oh!…Oh _okay_ ," Petra gentle eyes lit up in realization as she looked between them. "See you tomorrow!"

From the corner of her eyes she could see Levi raising a quizzical eyebrow back at her as Petra drove away.

"Ah Levi! There you are-," She approaches him,

"Why are you waiting for me like such a creep four eyes."

"What? Can't a person just wait for her fellow co-worker to clock out without being categorized as creepy?"

"No," Levi quickly responded.

"Well I'm off now as well, see you two tomorrow," Erwin murmurs as he descends the steps, glancing back to give a slight smile at their direction.

"Bye Erwin!" Hange enthusiastically replied, giving a quick wave.

Without a word Levi began to step down the steps towards the parking lot.

"Wait Levi!- Can we talk?" Without thinking, she grips onto his jacket.

Levi stops, turning to her now, waiting for her to talk.

"Oh. Here?"

She releases her hold on his jacket.

"You've been giving me these evil constipated looks all day shitty-glasses, just let it go and spit it out already."

Constipated? She snorts. In the most unconventional timing her stomach gurgles in a battle war cry of her stomach. Ah, she's forgotten to eat all day. The corner of her eyes tilted to the café and restaurant down the block, one she frequently went to.

Perfect!

"Levi, can we talk about this over dinner- My treat?" She offers eagerly, pointing to the café, and already taking some steps ahead of him, somehow knowing in one way or another he would follow behind her.

-And he did.

* * *

***

"Ah and can I have this too?-" Hange points to the set of churros to add to the list of a triple steak hamburger, curly fries, rice, and teriyaki chicken. She turns to Levi. "You sure you don't want anything more?" She quizzically stares at Levi's order of just black tea.

He shakes his head.

Hange frowns, not buying it for one second that Levi wasn't as hungry as she was. Although Levi could probably maintain a whole lifestyle with just drinking black tea, she knows damn well black tea won't completely satisfy a hunger. "He'll have this popcorn chicken. Thanks!" She handed the menu back.

"Hey-Hange-!"

"My treat remember?" She smiles in return, taking in his glare with absolute glee.

His glare softening a second later as he took sip of his black tea, but not entirely breaking eye contact with her.

A moment of silence followed after, in which she tried to calm her giddiness down over the fact that Levi was here with her now , and also to remind herself this wasn't a date no matter what the atmosphere around her was implying.

"So, what is it?" Levi broke the silence now. "What's on your mind."

"Oh…Right- I just….I wanted to know if- if…..-"

The waiter now returned with the trays of food, and the question got postpone yet again as she ate.

She wasn't much for manners, as when she's starving she goes all out uncaring and free.

The look of disgust registers in Levi face, but she didn't particularly care what he thought of her eating habits. They've already had this debate of her eating habits weeks ago. He didn't say anything about it now either other than a few tsk's at her. But much to her triumphed she saw him eating the popcorn chicken she ordered him. _She knew he was hungry._

As she munched on her food, she knew she can't keep delaying the question.

She swallowed her mouthful of food, braving herself.

"Ehh Levi –"

"No." Levi answered directly.

"I didn't even ask the question yet!" Hange argued, blinking back at him.

"I won't be your guinea pig for whatever demon creation you're making in the lab-"

"My what?!-No that's not it, it's something else!" _Rats!-_ She reminds herself to cross out Levi's name from her list of possible testees for her experiments.

"The answer will still probably be no, four-eyes."

Kill-joy, she fumed. "Screw you shorty, I just wanted to know if you had any plans for Christmas."

"Christmas?..."

"Yes, because if you didn't I just wanted to see if you'd wanted to spend it with me that's all." Hange explained, taking note of the surprise crossing his almost always devoid of emotion face. " And before you ask why I didn't ask someone else since we haven't known each other for long well- I did, everyone else even my own family apparently will be busy. You were sort of last resort and I don't know about you, but I really want to spend Christmas with company and-" She had to clamp her mouth shut when she realized she was rambling. She started over. "Sorry,…but just… are you free Christmas?"

He hesitates for a long while. Casting his eyes down, he answers slowly. "For the most part…-"

An excited jump came to her heart. "Then does that mean-"

A sudden finger was placed in between her lips, silencing her before she could utter the next jumble of excited words.

"But I can't," He argued.

Huh? "Why not?" She spoke despite his finger still on her lips.

"I really don't get the gist of Christmas, it's not my thing," he replied far too seriously, grimacing at his finger placement as he retrieves his finger.

Hange's lips part open hearing him say this. Christmas was one of her favorite holidays! She couldn't imagine anyone disliking it.

"How can you hate Christmas?!"

His eyes slant to the side, just barely shrugging.

"It's impossible to hate Christmas!" She protests, leaning forward onto the table, her hands at either side of her as she slams her hands on the table. "There's Christmas lights, trees, snow, hot chocolate- food so much food-presents, New Years preparations- !" She excitedly numbered with her hands.

"Tsk," Levi made a disgusted face back at her, crossing his arms. "You sound like a four year old."

Hange gape back at him, her eyebrows furrowing. How can he possibly hate Christmas? "Come on Levi, you can't be such a Grinch-"

"What the fuck did you just call me, Four-Eyes?!"

Ignoring, Levi's dead glare, Hange mind work on why?

But the Grinch didn't just hate Christmas, it was because he was lonely and unloved? Was it bad of her to assume this was also the case for him? Was he lonely and unloved? Is that why he gave out such a cold demeanor to everyone else.

An idea skyrockets straight into her head, forming in a blink of an eye, as she grins widely, staring back at Levi.

Her holiday had just become even more interested because Hange had a plan. She wasn't going to be alone this Christmas that much was certain. She was going to find a way to make this Christmas the best Christmas ever not just for her, but for Levi. She was going to change his mind. And maybe- just maybe find a way to finally ask him out on a date.

"Oi Shitty-Glasses, do I even want to know what's going on in your mind, for such a diabolic smile to be coming through?"

She smirks, unsettling the target across from her even further.

"I bet I can change your mind!" She declares far too loudly, grinning even wider. "I can make you love Christmas."

"Won't happen," Levi replies eyes narrowing further with a slight twitch of his eyes signaling that he was possibly terrified.

She downright cackles like a maniac. Oh just wait, Ackerman, you got another thing coming.

"You just watch Levi! I'm going to make this Christmas the best Christmas ever!"


	2. A Challenge Is Accepted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much for keeping this according to the timeline of the holidays, sorry guys school literally takes a lot of my free time away aaah but let's see how far I can get in this story at least. Who says Christmas is just for December anyways lol ...( dead inside). This chapter is pretty basic, sorry guys, but I needed to write it to move on to chapter 3 where the Christmas shenanigans start. Again THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE KUDOS, THE COMMENTS!, and THE PATIENCE!

Chapter 2.

**36 Days Until Christmas**

_A Challenge is Accepted_

Dropping into her bed, her hands angling behind her head, Hange stares up into the ceiling of her bedroom, unable to hold back the threatening wide smile curling in her lips, just remembering her conversation with a certain grumpy grinch earlier.

"Hate Christmas," She scoffs, rolling over unto her stomach, and clutching her pillow under her. _There's no possible way!_ She won't believe it. He can't truly hate Christmas, can he? Nobody hates Christmas just because. There must be a reason why he feels that way towards Christmas.

She closes her eyes, her eyelids feeling heavy.

_But I'll figure it out-_ She promises right before drifting to sleep.

* * *

***

"Good morning!" Hange greets far too eagerly the next morning entering the company, noticeably raising the eyebrows of some of her co-workers as she enters. "It's a little chilly out isn't it? It's quite remarkable how we haven't had any snow fall yet this year, but winter is coming!" She jokes cheerfully.

"Hange-San, you're in a very good mood, today" Nifa mentions, clocking in ahead of her,

"Huh, what do you mean aren't I always in a good mood," Hange responds confuse as behind her, she heard a cough coming from Oluo. She turns back to look at her co-workers who were all avoiding eye contact now.

"You ran me over with a lab cart just last week," Oluo mumbles to the side, as Petra quickly jabs him on the side.

"Last week…-" Hange tries recalling, only vaguely remembering last week. She was in such a state of frenzy for her excessive lab work, everything else was a blur, she was completely focused on her experiments that she vaguely recalls possibly yelling sporadically out far too many times, hectically rushing the lab cart equipment around through the hallways, and even bumping right into things or….people.

"Oh. Sorry Oluo-," When she went into her zone of working on new experiments, she knows she might sometimes get a bit too careless or as Moblit calls it dangerously "reckless."

"So why are you so happy today Hange, did you get a new experiment idea?" Petra, always the breaker of tensions, changes the conversation.

"No, it's just-" Just as she was about to say it, she saw Levi carrying a set of papers back to his office. Instantly a sense of giddiness came over her. Truth really was, she was in such a good mood because she was eager to start her Christmas preparations plan as soon as possible. "Ah I'll see you around-!"

Without looking back, she quickly rushes to catch up with him, not noticing the pair of surprising eyes trailing after her as she left. She distinctly hears a set of whispers following after her but she was too far to make out the words now.

"Leviii!" She practically sings. 

He turned his head around to face her, not saying a word, his expression unreadable.

"Good morning!" She greets again, waving.

He nods curtly at her, turning quickly back around to step into his office.

Wait-!

Before he could shut the door completely Hange jumps forward, her arm going between the door and the wood frame, just enough to prevent the door from closing entirely.

"Whoa hold it partner-!"

Levi opens the door cautiously in return, his brow line slightly inclining as he looks back at her.

"Did you need something Four-Eyes?"

Pushing the door further open, she nods.

"I just wanted to know when is your lunch today!? I got a few things I have to finish for today, but I should be out by noon, so we can meet up then if that works for you and-"

"Meet up for lunch? Hange what are you-,"

"For our Christmas Extravaganza planning of course," She mentions, stepping further into his office.

Her eyes naturally wandering through his impeccable clean office.

Every paper was stack accordingly and organized, the windows completely wiped so cleaned it almost didn't look like glass stood there at all, and the floor….- absolutely spotless. She gapes.

"You're still on with that," Levi catches her attention again, scowling back at her. "How many times do I have to tell you I'm not doing it."

"You mentioned it at least 12 times yesterday after we left the café, so this makes it 13 just now," Hange naturally responds.

"And?"

"And if I recall correctly Ackerman, I told you that you're not getting away from this unless you give me a good reason to why you hate Christmas."

Taking a few steps forward she naturally begins to grin, crossing her own arms and leaning forward in a taunting way, she whispers playfully -"So tell me why do you hate Christmas so much and I'll let you free from this."

He frowns back at her, moving back, his eyes slanting to the side. "Doesn't matter why Shitty-Glasses, I'm not doing it," he side steps her and heads for his chair.

She snickers as he leaves.

"So it is going to be a challenge then?" She murmurs snidely, her eyes catching on the calendar next to the wall. She starts heading out the door, stopping just as at the exit, she turns back to him with a smirk, as she tilts her glasses up in the process. "I expected as much Levi, I accept your challenge."

"Huh?"

"See you soon grumps!"

"Wait no- Shitty-Glasses-!"

* * *

***

5 hours later she is standing outside his office door, carrying two sandwich clubs and two drinks she bought just a few minutes ago from across the street. She angles herself to look at her watch.

_12:58 P.M…_

_12:59 P.M…_

_1:00 P.M.. - She pushes her body forward and jars the door wide open._

"Hey Levi."

"The fuck-"

"Brought Lunch, you don't mind Green Tea right? They didn't have Black Tea."

Pinching his nose, Levi murmurs, aggravatedly "Hange, I'm working."

"According to the rules and regulations of compliance established by the corporation for safety and the well-being of all its employees, it is mandatory for someone to take a lunch after working five consecutive hours," she rehearses by memory.

"What kind of shit are you spewing now Four Eyes don't you abuse this rule yourself? You hit compliance too many times just this month that Erwin had to force you to take breaks and lunch for a week straight."

Ah!

"Don't turn this back to me Levi, besides as far as I'm aware someone else was pulling too many work hours as well, and Erwin had to forcefully drag you out of here 3 days ago so you could stop working."

"Funny, if I recall correctly I wasn't the only one Erwin had to drag out that night."

She set the food in the desk, narrowing her eyes back at him. Touché. 

"Fine- Fine, so we're both the same,"

Levi scoffs.

Hange hands Levi the other sandwich. "Let's just put that aside and start a new lunch schedule now okay? Both of us complying to the rules for once."

He hesitated, but he must have realized she was not going to leave the matter alone, because a moment later he grabs the sandwich and sat down on the chair at the opposite end of the desk.

"Fine."

Hange lips pull up as she watches him unwrapping the sandwich carefully with his slender fingers.

"Hey, can I ask you some questions Levi?"

Not diverting his attention on his food, he gives the slightest shrug in return. "It's not like saying no will ever stop you from doing it."

Her eyes scan the wall again as she speaks.

"You say you're free for Christmas right? For the most part, and I was wondering what you meant by that? What about your family?"

"You're not letting this Christmas thing go are you Shitty-Glasses?" He pivoted the question in return.

She drew it right back. "Surely your family would love to spend time with you on Christmas right? Your mom and-''

"My mother's dead," he says it so damn directly, that Hange almost drop the sandwich she was holding.

Her heart instantly clutch within itself. " _Dead.._!-Levi...I-"

"It was a very long time ago," He responds practically in monotone, his gaze cast completely down, not meeting her eyes at all. "Never knew my father either."

No mother or father? Hange heart painfully thug knowing he had no parents to raise him. Sure, her parents were sometimes not really there for her, but they were still alive. Did he even have a family? What if it was just him? Her hands instantly inch towards him only to stop herself midway.

"I have a bastard of an uncle, who's hardly ever around, and a younger cousin, that's too much like me for her own good."

Hange nods slowly, her heart unable to help feeling the slight pain coming between his words.

"You don't spend Christmas with them much then, you spent your Christmas alone." She murmurs quietly, not a question, a statement. Was she right then before, that maybe one of the reasons Levi hated Christmas was because he spent it alone?

He doesn't answer her. He doesn't have to.

No wonder he disliked Christmas. Who wouldn't if they had to spend it utterly alone for years. Wasn't the reason she was desperate to ask people what they were doing for Christmas also because she didn't want to spend it alone either.

They're not that different after all.

"There's only 36 days until Christmas…," Hange murmurs counting down in her head. "36 days." She repeats as her mind starts to think it through further. Now, she's even more determined than before to make this Christmas the best one, not for her, but for him.

"Levi, I know you hate Christmas, and I know we've only known each other for a few months, but ever since you mention how badly I stunk on the very first conversation with each other, there's something that I ….-," Whoa, she shakes her head before realizing she's confessing far more than she should. Slow down there Hange. She starts again. "What I'm trying to say is that I think you're a very fascinating co-worker and I would love to spend Christmas with you."

His brows lifts up, his eyes scanning her in hesitant concern "Listen Hange, I don't-"

Much like he did last night, Hange places a finger on his lips to stop the trail of words.

"Shh short-stuff I'm not done yet, I have a proposition for this challenge."

He narrows his eyes at her, a slight tsk coming from his lips.

"I have 36 days to change your mind about Christmas. If I can change your mind, you'll promise to spend Christmas with me okay? If I can't ,then you'll spend Christmas how you want and I'll never bother you again about it. But there's conditions, as for the next 36 days are the experimental run-"

Gripping her wrist, he pushes her hand away from him, but doesn't let go.

"You lost me."

Hange hums in response.

"Everyday until December 25th I will be testing a variety of 'Christmas' variables if you will, to convince you just how awesome Christmas really is! They'll be all a surprise," She grins. "But you must at least attempt each one of the variables I put with no objections. "

His frown deepens at her now. "Tsk, what kind of shit conditions are those Four Eyes. Doesn't even seem fair, if I have to put up with your 'Christmas variables' for 36 damn days and whatever other hell you descend in those 36 days."

"Aah ah ah- but there's more, as compensation at the end of all this no matter what you decide about Christmas, I will buy you a whole unlimited supply of tea for a year, I'll even pay you a full day to the nice spa you've been wanting to go – Divine Springs Baths, where their slogan as I recall is "Best Cleaning Baths You'll Ever Experience."

That quick lift of his brows and the slight incline up of his head tells Hange immediately that the reward caught his attention.

"As long as for the next 36 days you'll let me try to convince you each day with one Christmas variable. Come on, you can't say no to this limited time offer." Her grin grows wider now as she realizes she's finally getting to him.

"Full year of Tea? Counting every single day- even holidays?"

Hange nods.

"Paid Hotel, and all expenses, including food and premium services at Divine Spring Baths?"

"Everything yes-" She blurts, as she distinctly hears the cry of death coming from her wallet and bank account from the far off distance. "It'll be my Christmas present for you."

Levi hums approvingly in return, only now does he realize how he was still holding on to her wrist. He lets go abruptly, scowling even further now.

Taking her arm back, her eyes light up. "So what do you say short stuff are you in?"

"Shut up, Shit-brain …I'm considering my options here, for my own sanity."

"You ass," She mutters right as steps sound behind her.

"If I may weigh in, I think it's an excellent idea."

The sudden deeper tone of Erwin's voice caught their attention, as they both instantly turn to look at the man standing at the doorway.

Crossing his arms, Levi leans back at his chair, and narrows his eyes at Erwin.

"Eavesdropping on private conversations Smith,"

Erwin chuckles shortly. "Not exactly, I just happen to be walking by curious to why Hange wasn't in her lab, when I heard a very interesting conversation."

"How is that not eavesdropping-"

"See Erwin agrees Levi, it's a great idea!" Hange interrupts Levi mid-sentence. "I'm trying to un-grinch Levi for Christmas Erwin!"

"Tsk."

"Hange, you're ideas are brilliant per usual," A soft gaze registers in Erwin's face. " Levi this would do you good, if you can finally learn to love Christmas, it'll get your mind out of your bir-"

Levi stands up abruptly- "Oi! That's enough- Fine Hange you win. I'll accept your challenge, now both of you get the hell out, I got to finish this damn paperwork!"

"Huh?" She exchanges a few glances between Erwin and Levi. It didn't pass her Levi's sudden change of subject from whatever Erwin was about to say.

Sure, she's personally known Erwin longer, practically due to her college years where they met during freshmen orientation, but even then she knew Erwin and Levi had a stronger connection and an unspoken past that she didn't even know.

When Erwin introduce Levi to her, he had said to take it easy on him. But she had always wonder why? She's seen his biceps, the quick reflexes in which he acts, the uncanny alertness in his eyes. She knows Levi can defend himself quite well if provoked. He sort of reminded her of a giant grumpy cat. At most the first times she caught sight of him he always looked impasse from any emotion other than annoyance when she had ignored Erwin's advice, and bantered the man relentless upon meeting each other.

Erwin clasps his hands together loudly, his smile spreading. "Excellent, if there's any way I can help Hange, please don't hesitate to count me in," Erwin suggests immediately, and far too eager for Levi's liking, although it made her even more happier to have Erwin support in the matter.

"Thanks Erwin!"

"Oi- Shitty Glasses and Eyebrows didn't you hear me-?" Levi murmurs, evidently annoyed, and already cleaning off his desk area. "Get out."

She stood up a moment later, grabbing her still unfinish sandwich and drink. She decided that he was right, she had to get back to work, as she actually far passed her lunch break minutes.

"I'll let you have the day off today then Levi- we'll start tomorrow!" She calls out as she stepped out of his office, and unable to help it, throwing a wink in his direction.

"Prepare yourself."

The only answer from Levi came as a nostril loud sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got most of the 3rd chapter written, but because I have finals until the 19th we'll see if I can publish it sooner, if not, expect it by the 19th/20th ^^ My goal is to see how many chapters I can update until the 25 or just in December will I succeed? Who knows, there's so much I have plan for this story aah! We'll see lovelies. 
> 
> Next Chapter : 31 Days Until Christmas : Broken Candy Canes, The beginning of the end.


	3. Broken Candy Canes:The Beginning of the End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had enough spare time between studying to finish this chapter. So we continue, Christmas Shenanigans here we go-

Chapter 3

**_31 Days until Christmas_ **

_Broken Candy Canes: The Beginning of the End_

When Hange told Levi that he would get just a day off, she meant it then. But as if luck would have it, that lucky bastard got a full 5 days off, thanks to one of her machines completely breaking down in the lab. She had to recalibrate that whole sucker from scratch, including having to rerun the last few experiments again, as the data collected had been inconclusive.

She hated that she lost the 5 complete days, but what frustrated her even more was when she caught the rare turn of that cheeky bastard's lips these past few days as he passed her laboratory, without saying anything.

He probably thought he was off the hook, that maybe in these past 5 days she had given up on the whole challenge, but of course not- She was going to fall through with it no matter what.

Hange Zoe was no quitter.

She huffs out, parking her car, and rushing to the trunk.

That jerk, he's gotten it easy these pass days, but she can't afford to lose any more time. Now she only has 31 days to sway Levi's mind. Almost a month to convince him entirely.

The entire parking lot empty, with the only meek sounds coming from the occasional passing cars driving through the city, and the tapping of her shoes on the pavement. The street lights were the only source of light at this time of hour.

Opening the trunk to her car, she hauls out a very giant black bag. "Oof-" She slants it over her shoulder. It was heavier than what she first thought when she threw it in there, closing the trunk with her leg, she begins to make her way towards the entrance of the company. Slanting slightly from the heaviness of her bag.

With her free hand she fumbles for the key card to enter. Finally pulling it out of her pocket to swipe it, only for the keylock to beep in declination.

"Ah! What?" She attempts again. Decline. Once more. Decline. Again.

Decline.

Decline.

Decline.

_Decline._ _For the love of God, you got to be kidding me_?- Hange groans slanting her head on the window door panes, after trying half a dozen more times, and it still not working. How does Levi enter so early then when the front entrance locks don't let any employee in until 6 am? - Closing her eyes, she remembers a past conversation with Levi.

" _Ugh- are you always such a clean freak?" She had groan, when Levi made her clean her laboratory before clocking out for the night. "Can't I just do this tomorrow Levi- I'm tired." She yawns as evidence._

" _Tsk- it wouldn't be such a mess if you clean it more often! Ever since you came here, you always leave this place a mess, I have to come extra early every day to clean it for you."_

" _It's not that bad-" She argues before catching on to something else. "You were the one cleaning my lab? Really!" All this time she could've sworn she thought it was somehow Moblit's consciousness manifesting itself as a ghost to clean her lab._

" _Don't think much of it, I always come early for work to clean my office, and I just couldn't stand all the shit that was in your lab room, whenever I come through the receiving back entry your mess was just right there."_

_The doors burst open, completely startling the hell out of Levi and Hange. A deadly tired and serious Erwin emerges, glaring at both of them._

" _For the love of God you two again! How many times do I have to drag you two out of this company- it's pass midnight! Please, Go home!"_

Ah! She opens her eyes again, with a snap of her finger. The receiving back entry of course! That's how he enters! As a large company the receiving area was often use for large suppliers, who tended to arrive and deliver equipment always at night. She smiles as she begins making her way through the receiving back entry. She tried to pick up her pace knowing her time was limited considering she never knew when Levi actually arrived to clean, she only knew she had to beat him. Which is why she was hauling this gigantic black bag at 3 am in the morning into the company.

Right as she turns the corner, a flashlight blares right at her face completely blinding her.

Immediately, she drops the bag to shield her eyes. "What the hell—!"

"Don't move!" A young like voice speaks out. "Miss, you're trespassing into private property! If you don't leave, I'm afraid I'm calling the police -"

"Police? Whoa slow down there- hold it, I work here!" She calls out trying to see the figure, but she could only make out a sense of his brown like hair. "Hange Zoe! I'm the company's research lab coordinator!" She flashes her key card forward.

The flashlight drops down.

Hange now sees the young man with brown hair, and in the night a set of intense set of large eyes.

He inspects her key and instantly his arch eyebrows unfurl. Going from deadly serious to I am terrible sorry in a fraction of a second.

"Oh right, God- I'm so sorry Hange-San," He bows down quickly flipping the flashlight switch off. "It's just my first Friday night working as security guard, and I saw you through the security cameras hauling that _bag_ , I thought you just committed a murder and were trying to cover up the crime, I mean who carries black giant bags at 3 am in the morning except killers right?" He chuckles nervously, before stopping to add. "Ah not that it's that strange, I'm not saying you're a killer- I mean..,I'm sorry."

She laughs once she registers what this poor security guard must have seen and interpreted.

New, he said? No wonder she's never seen him before. She locates his name tag. "Trust me… Eren, if I did commit a murder, you wouldn't have any evidence from me, for one I know that disintegrating the body is much easier," she teases, purposely switching her tone to darker. "It leaves _no_ traceable evidence behind."

Eren expression is worth the tease as his eyes widen further, partly even looking a bit scare. Success. His own throat bopping as he gulps. He takes a few step back. "Um, What?"

"I'm just kidding," She pats his shoulder. "I'm just going to do some early work at the lab, this is all part of a new experiment I'm working on." She grins. "You wouldn't mind giving me a hand right?"

* * *

***

Blowing on her coffee to cool down, circles etched deep under her eyes from the all-nighter she just pulled, she waits in her lab room now, quietly working.

It's just a few minutes until 5:00 in the morning when she hears the doors open.

Ooooh- her fingers curl on the cup in anticipation. She takes a sip of her coffee eagerly, listening as closely as possible.

She hears the deep sigh first, and the quiet steps through the hallway- Definitely Levi- and then distinctly hearing annoyed muttering. "Of all freaking places for that brat to work in, he comes here-" The beep resonates from him clocking in. "Give me a damn break."

Hange wasn't entirely sure who Levi was muttering about, but it didn't surprise her that Levi had found someone to already be annoyed with this early in the morning. She snickers, without a doubt he was a living embodiment of a grumpy cat; for thy name is Levi Ackerman.

She has the light on her laboratory on, which she knows Levi could probably see now as she hears his steps coming to the outside of her laboratory. Quickly she reaches for her round headphones and pulls the tab to excel to look as if she's been working for hours on boundless equations.

She senses him at the door of her laboratory, but doesn't turn to face him, instead scribbling some random loose equations on a piece of paper.

"You're here early?" He comments.

It takes all her will to not turn around just then and grin maniacally back at him-instead she ignores him and continues scribbling, seemingly appearing as if she hadn't even notice he's there.

"Tsk-" His steps begin to fade as he leaves.

Once she's sure he's not behind her, she takes off her headphones. She picks up her coffee again to drink.

Her stomach swirls inside her unable to contain her bubbling excitement, for what Levi will soon find once he's-

"What. The. Damn. FUCK! - _HANGEE!_!-"

She spurts out the coffee she was drinking completely out, as a loud string of cackles contagiously start to bumble out. The sudden cackles in between drinking had her choking at the same time, as she has to restrains her stomach in the attempt to calm herself, but she can't help it she's still laughing.

Out of all the reactions she envisioned playing in her head, somehow this had turned out better than all the scenarios she saw playing in her mind.

Dammit, her only regret now being, not being able to record it.

She's still laughing when he comes around, still wearing his black long coat and scarf. He is full on fury- if a glare could kill then Hange was sure that that one was promptly killing her right in her very spot and sending her to her grave.

With that glare- any other person would have ran for cover, hell, even part of her wanted to run right now, before she found herself at the end of Levi's wrath. But of course, Hange being herself, instead of choosing to listen to her danger alarm, went straight for it, as she laughed harder now.

"-Oh Good morning, Levi-," Laugh- "Didn't notice you were..-" Breathe- "Here."

He marches right into her laboratory, his jaw lock in place as his eyes dangerously narrowed to her. "Cut that stupid crap out, Four Eyes- What kind of shit did you do to my office?!" He stops only feet from where she's sitting, his hands clenching onto his scarf as he takes it off then.

"Huh? Two poop mentions in a row, dang to what honor do I deserve such priceless bowel talk from Levi Ackerman?" She tries to sustain her laughter, but she can't seem to bring herself to stops, as she begins snorting as a result- not in the most flattering way, but she couldn't help it.

Frustrated, he reaches for her messy ponytail, tsking-he tugs it back – "Oi-What are you a hyena now?"

"Hahaha-Ow! Hey!" She protests when the sting registers. The act working to sustain her laughing fit as she rubs the base of her scalp where the ponytail started. "Why do you always have to do that?" She remarks, for someone who has told her countless times already how oily and messy her hair is, he sure like tugging at it far too many times.

Without a warning, he grips her arm, hauling her up from her chair in a swift motion, and pulling her out of the lab. _Huh?!_ Before she registers what is actually happening _, s_ he's already halfway across the hallway nearing his office.

He let's go of her arm as soon as they come to the entrance. "Explain. What. This. Is?"

Unlike the dull, stationary office that Levi has grown too accustomed in seeing and cleaning relentlessly, for as long as he has probably worked here, there instead stood an entirely different office to welcome. For Hange made sure to decorate every inch of his office with anything she could find Christmas theme. His office practically glowed like a Santa Workshop.

Snowflake and snowman stickers were set all over the window, his whole wall strung with led neon lights, a whole new Christmas calendar replaced the old one. Winter banners hung all over the wall, glitter shaken all over the floor where cotton artificial snow blankets were scattered to resemble some sort of illusion of snow, and on the middle of his desk a reindeer stapler and a sleigh tape dispenser made their happy new home. Not to mention all the Santa figures she had scattered all over his office, one particular grumpy black cat plush wearing a Santa hat was place right at his chair.

Truly, every corner of his office was littered with a variety of Christmas decoration from top to bottom.

For something she had only limited time to do, she was darn well happy with herself for how well she decorated the office.

"Well?" Levi prompts for an answer, impatiently irked, not even hiding the annoyance etch in his tone.

"This is for all those five days I miss," Hange explains naturally, her hand twirling one of the bells attach to the door. "What? You thought I'd let it go, just cause I miss 5 days?"

"Desperately hoping more like it," He mutters in return, not stepping in. "You're telling me _this_ , _all THIS_ , is the first Christmas variable to your plan?" He signals to his office, almost as it was a whole damnation in itself. She sees his Adam's apple bop. "Didn't you jump the gun too fast here Hange."

She snorts in response, watching him curiously, half expecting him to run this instant. His eyes kept darting at every direction in his office, his grimace growing each time more, shadowing his face.

His tone comes even further at an edge. "You said one Christmas variable a day didn't you? Not the whole damn North Pole Shitty-Glasses!- Look at this mess" He brushes pass her now, finally too far tick off to take it anymore. "I'm fucking cleaning this shit up right now!"

He heads straight to the tree fir ornaments on the wall.

"What! But I spent so much time working on it this morning Levi!" She protests, stepping in between to stop him from tearing off the tree fir ornaments, her arms spreading in defense of the decoration. "You haven't even had time to fully enjoy it!" She argues standing in between him and the tree fir. "At least give it the day!"

_Please._

He twitches in place. "How am I even to get any work done with this clutter all over my office Hange."

It's not like she doesn't understand partly where's he's coming from. For someone like Levi this whole room must be irking his tidy clean freak to another level, but a room full of Christmas decoration like this seem to her like a room full of happiness, and she wanted to believe that if Levi only had more time to pay attention to the details of it-to get used to it- it might even brighten his day more instead of sour it.

Still defending the tree fir ornament from Levi's incoming assaults, she thinks it through for a second on what he asked prior- Oh well, the answer is rather simple. But Levi won't like it at all. "By restraining your clean freak urges, as much as possible." She offers a sheepish smile at the attempt of a joke, but obviously he was not in the mood, as he quickly moves to the place she was not defending and grip the calendar on the wall to take down.

"Aaah No ! Levi!" Her hands fling above her.

He tears one corner.

-And because she couldn't think of anything else to do at that moment, she jumped on him tackling him to the ground.

* * *

***

More than half an hour later, the office was more a mess than it had been prior.

There on the floor, in between half destructed, half placed Christmas decorations, and glaring all hell at each other sat Levi and Hange.

They didn't speak to each other anymore, they didn't have to-

_You could have lasted a day, you jerk_ \- She telepathically communicated through her narrowing eyes.

_You went overboard! Four Eyes_ \- He telepathically told her back glaring even further.

_You had five days off_!- she rolls her eyes.

He scoffs in return, one of his hands passing a hand through his hair, steel eyes still locked on her. _"Are you ever going to let me clean this mess up?_ He questions her instead, as she could hear the irritation of his voice in her mind.

She shakes her head. Nope.

He groans.

She hmphs.

And they both look away angrily from each other.

For almost an hour they have been going back and forward. Every time Levi got a chance to remove a decoration, she would do anything she could to stop him.

The first tackle down caught her off guard, not only because she didn't know she was moving, until she already had her arms wrapped around him, pushing him down onto the ground. But because of how quick he reacted even with the sudden aggression in her part. It had happened so quickly, but she had felt the warmth of his body coming from pressing onto him. Despite him being on the short side, the body she felt for a fraction of a second felt muscular as hell, capable of breaking just abought anything she could think of, but even when that thought had just register in her mind, he had reacted fast-he spun himself around, arms quickly wrapping back around her hip sides- In that impossibly small fraction of a second she had looked down at him, bodies pressed far too close together, and she could've sworn they had held each other gaze for a second too long – before that – whatever _that_ was- inevitably ended just as fast, when he push her aside from on top of him.

" _Damn it, Four Eyes-" He had murmur away from her, his voice conflicting, but not betraying anything other than annoyance, although now he couldn't met her gaze straight on. "I'm taking it down!"_

Rubbing her neck now, Hange releases a sigh, realizing that they have to come in terms into something now, it's been close to an hour already. "Okay, how about we compromise?"

Naturally he doesn't say anything, the only proof he's listening now is his eyes angling back on her.

"You can tidy the office any way you want to," She places her hand on top of her knees. "But half the decorations stay, at least for a full day."

He takes his time to answer back, as he stares across his office in broken dismay and naturally his gaze returning to her.

He sighs lengthily, seceding. "For a day." He promises with a cringe.

Hange sighs as well, in a small, but still victorious relief.

It's a step forward.

* * *

***

It wasn't long before the other co- workers began clocking in, some pass through to say hello, but were instantly caught off guard by what they were seeing.

Because although she had gotten her way, technically. Much to her own dismay, Hange was still force to put some of her own decorations out from where she had placed them, and was obligated to help Levi clean as much as he could of the office.

The co-workers seeing the events were completely at lost to what was happening, but one look from Levi told them they were better off not asking.

All aside from Erwin, who simply threw them a giant smile when he pass the office, even giving Hange a thumbs up before going into his office.

Unsticking Mr. Snowman The Window Sticker, she couldn't help feeling sad.

She always hated taking off Christmas decorations after the holidays were over. It made it seem like the merry feeling was over and a cold winter awaited to gulp them down instead.

Mr. Snowman came with a family attach to it, as she un-stick it, Mrs. Snowman, lost part of her arm.

She whimpers in return. _Sorry-!_

"Oi- can you stop it Four Eyes, if you can't take the decorations off without making a noise every time, then just go back to your lab, I can finish here."

She finally got the rest of Mr. Snowman family from the window.

"Yeah right, knowing you- you'll stuff all of this down the dumpster and set it on fire, dancing around the fiery ashes of Christmas, like a total Krampus."

"A what?" A vein popped in him.

"Nothing," She responds innocently a moment later, remembering that she has to add Christmas folklore to one of the Christmas variables.

Her eyes go to the grumpy cat Santa plushie on the desk that Levi just got to put back in the bag.

"Awww- not him," Hange reaches for it before it falls down into the bag. "Let him stay, look how cute he is. He reminds me of you," She waves its paws for him.

"Are you blind Shitty-Glasses, how are you even relating me to a stupid stuff toy."

She shrugs, looking down on the grumpy cat. "Hello I'm Meow Santa Levi Pawkerman, the hater of all Christmas." She mocks, furrowing in brows in the attempt to sound more serious, and intimidating him. "I like teanip, old fashion things, and always sulking in the corner to make me look super badass and cool- and for the love of god someone please give me bleach or I will murder everyone."

"You're so full of shit," he cuts her off, snatching the plushie away from her.

She laughs. "Hit too close to the mark did I?"

"Tsk- shut up and finish taking those off already," He points to the last snowflake window stickers.

"Not like the grumpy cat, my ass," She mutters.

Levi turns, throwing her the snow blanket straight at her face.

* * *

***

"No way!" Nanaba voice rang as soon as Hange pick up her phone, gloves still intact as she transfers the cohesive chemicals over to safe test tubes.

"Well it's nice talking to you too," Hange teases, setting her phone on speaker, so she could continue working.

She can't see it, but she feels Nanaba playful eyeroll clearly in her mind, when she replies-"Hi to you too Hans-…So I just read your message!" She cuts straight to the point. "Why didn't you mention it sooner?! Keeping me in the dark about it, when you're trying to seduce the sexiest tea aficionado and the most stone hard difficult man in the planet for Christmas?"

Hange's hand on the chemical serum tube almost slips entirely.

Seduce?! - Her cheeks color, as she glances around the lab hoping that none of the other lab assistants heard. She leans closer to the phone now and whispers loudly to the phone now. "I am not trying to seduce him Nanaba!"

At the other end of the phone she hears Nanaba clear laugh. "Right? Because 'I am forcing Levi Ackerman to spend Christmas with me, no matter what it takes' doesn't sound like some sexual innuendo at all."

"It's not-," Hange replies not bothering whispering anymore, placing the last test tube into the stand. "Like _that_ at all!"

"You're telling me you wouldn't want to take Levi into your bed if it ever came to it?"

"Nanaba!" She gasps, right when one of her lab assistant, a boy name Armin clearly picked the wrong moment to walk by with the new supplies. Clearly having overheard, he is quick to apologize and moves away-fast.

She takes Nanaba out of speaker immediately after. "You have a boyfriend Missy, what would he say if he heard you saying this!"

"Mike knows, he's the only one for me," Nanaba giggles. "Besides it's true isn't it? Ever since you two met you have been a force to be reckon with, not saying its love, but there is something definitely there between the two. Steamy unresolved tension maybe-"

Still blushing, Hange contemplates her words, leaning back on the table. "It's probably irritation, Levi hates me," she mentions deflating quickly back to reality. "I'm the last girl in the world he would ever fall for." Hange sighs, supporting the phone in her shoulder as she takes off her gloves.

Back when she realize she was getting a crush on Levi she had done everything to avoid him. She couldn't understand it-AT ALL. She's been so long without thinking of another person that she didn't recognize what was happening until it was already too late. It had hit her like a full speed train hitting a brick wall. Completely unexpected and then suddenly going at full throttle all at once, especially when she kept wondering why she just wanted to be around him so much. To know more about him, to figure out why she kept taking steps into his direction when he was so different than her.

She's too gross for him, too messy, too loud, too different- and yet here she was still being drawn to him, like a screwed up magnet that was attracting a force it shouldn't.

"Oh Hange."

Hange plays it off though. It's fine, she reassures herself. It's just a crush, and besides didn't she make the promise that she might… perhaps ask Levi out on a date at the end of all this? Maybe…-Not that she's scared exactly of asking him, she's more scared of the likely rejection waiting his lips when she finally asks him.

"But anyway-," Hange continues, shaking the thoughts about that into the far corners of her mind. "This isn't about me trying to court Levi, I just want him to have the greatest Christmas ever, I don't think he's ever had one, and I want to be the person to give him his first true Christmas." It would be the best present ever.

"Hange, how can he not fall for such an angel."

"Ah stop it," Hange responds right back right as her eyes locate the box of candy canes that she had stuff into the bag and left in her lab. "Speaking of him anyway, it's almost time for his lunch- I got to go back to putting my experiment to work."

"You know his lunch schedule?"

"I memorize his schedule calendar," She sheepishly says. "Gotta go, say hi to Mike for me!"

"Of course, but first, answer honestly, don't lie, you would totally love to have Levi in your bed wouldn't you?"

Her blush increases quickly, as her fingers curl, shutting her eyes tightly.

She confesses.

"Of course, I would!"

* * *

***

After her call with Nanaba, she carried the box of candy canes over to his office.

She knocks at his door.

"Yes?"

"Santa's giant helper here for a special delivery," She replies goodheartedly, naturally opening the door.

Levi is sitting in his desk, drinking his tea as he sets the cup mid down to stare blankly at her.

"Seriously? Remind me how old you are again Four Eyes."

He had got rid of a lot of decorations, but Hange is secretly relieve he didn't throw the other half to the garbage while she was working. She was even more happy to see the plushie still present at the far off corner of the desk.

"So I got the first real 'Christmas variable' here,"

Sipping his tea, he raises an eyebrow at her, confuse. "First? What about all the shit this morning?"

"That was just for the pass days we miss," She explains, opening the box, and reaching in. "But today is tadaa- Candy Canes-" She pulls one out from the box only for it to flop a second later broken. Huh?

Levi sips his tea, a slight hum coming to him, not at all amuse.

"Ah it's broken let me try another-," the next one she pulled out broken as well. "… broke too, wait-" She rummages through the box pulling them all out one by one, realizing that all candy canes are without a doubt broken in one place or another.

"What! How?" Hange pours the rest of the candy canes on his desk, ignoring the glare shot at her direction for the new mess she was making once again on his desk. She inspects them all, trying to rethink to how they all broke down. "I don't believe this, how did they-" A sudden memory comes rushing back to her mind. Her dropping the bag this morning when Eren had scared her.

"Oh." She realizes now, they were the first thing she put in the bag, consequently being at the very bottom of the bag along with all the other decorations, no wonder they broke, they were the first thing to hit the pavement.

"Oh?" Levi tilts his face to meet hers, casting his cup of tea to the side. He watches her curiously now, but she's too mortified to look back at him.

Freaking-Dammit- Now what? - Disappointedly she frowns, staring at her broken candy canes-until her mind is quick to switch gears. She mentally shakes her head. "Whatever they're still good, we'll use them anyway," She replies shrugging. Other than being broken they're perfectly well candy canes, besides there was another reason for the candy canes other than just eating. She pulls a set of gel pens from her lab coat pocket to place on the desk.

"Why so many candy canes?" He asks now, picking one of the candy canes broken right at the curve. "You're not going to make me eat them all are you?"

Hange grabs onto one, snorting a chuckle. " And damage your perfect snow white teeth with cavities, not a chance," She comments without thinking how she just paid him a compliment. She sees a slight tense of his form, but just as quickly as she says it, it disappears.

"Then…what for?"

Hange picks up her candy cane, uncapping her pen.

"Tomorrow it'll be a month until Christmas," She explains," and I've talked to Petra and Rico about what you all do for the Holidays. They told me about how each year you all do stockings for the employees on the lunchroom and then on the day before the company shuts down for the holidays you take the stockings home."

He nods, waiting for her to explain more.

"So I thought why not start by giving everyone a Candy Cane to put in their stockings first, with a cute well meaning message attach to it," She smiles softly, as she starts to write the letter L on the card attach to the candy cane.

"Let me get this straight, you want me to write everyone a message on broken candy canes, and put it on everyone stocking?" He makes a face, his hand lifting the broken sad candy cane skeptically.

"I'm writing one for everyone," Hange clarifies. "But I'll make it easy for you, just do one. One for one person." She attaches a heart next to Levi's name as she snickers, knowing exactly what she will write. She scoots the candy cane closer to her side so Levi wouldn't see who she was dedicating this one to.

Still frowning he gathers one of her pens and opens the tab to it, staring blankly at the candy cane card.

When she notices that he hasn't begun writing after a while, she stops writing momentarily.

"I don't see you writing Ackerman."

He sighs. "I just…don't know what to say-"

"Just write something sweet," She suggests.

"I'm not very good with words."

"Just write as it was coming straight from you, it should flow naturally. Come on, just write one thing Levi it's not that hard."

His shoulders square, glancing back at her, before untensing after a glance. "Okay." He says lowly picking the pen up and writing.

Ah it's working, she grins wider now. This won't change his mind about Christmas, but this is definitely a step forward. Sending something as simple as a small note to someone might cheer their day up entirely.

Levi put the pen down.

"Ah you're done?!" And because she couldn't help herself she asks, "Can I see?"

Levi scowl deepen, not responding.

She reaches for the candy cane opening the tab, extremely curious to what he had to write. It can't be that bad-

Written in extremely impeccably beautiful handwriting it read-

**Erwin.**

**Merry Christmas**

**I guess.**

**-Levi**

She blinks at the message, unsure what to say, giving him the most deadpan expression right back at him.

"What?" He challenges back.

She hands the candy cane back, breathing out an age old, long sigh.

"What's with that reaction, Shitty Glasses." He mutters, tensing again.

"I got a lot of work to do," She groans, reaching to pat the top of his head. "You poor sad man."

"You want to die, Four Eyes."

"But I'll make it work," She promises. "Hope is not lost yet, miracles will happen this season."

"Oi-Stop it, Shit head, before I shove the rest of these candy canes straight down your throat." His empty threat making her smirk.

"Mmm, but if you do that my mouth would be so minty, goodbye bad breath for days." She teases right back. "Wait, do you think my poop would smell minty too?"

Levi shakes his head ever so slightly, hiding the very small beginning curve of his lips.

'You're fucking impossible.''

Somehow, she swears, she will help his own broken candy cane mend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~ Cheers guys! Not sure when I'll update next, but we'll see ! Let me know how it's going so far? And I hope your holiday planning is going well too! For the Levihan Secret Santa event please go check it out in tumblr for anyone who is interested. Don't think I'll be able to do it myself but just in case you guys were interested ^^ more levihan merriness is always a blessing.  
> Next Chapter: 30 Days Until Christmas : 12 Carols too Many : A Shitstorm is Coming

**Author's Note:**

> Want more? Stick around! Feel free to message me about Levihan I ADORE THEM to pieces! Or follow me in twitter at yesroslc17


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